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FACT BRIEF

Are Wisconsin voucher schools required to meet the needs of special needs students?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

Schools that receive vouchers through Wisconsin’s Private School Choice Programs cannot discriminate against special needs students in admissions, but the schools are not required to provide for all of those students’ needs.

Participating schools receive a state aid payment, known as a voucher, for any eligible student. Vouchers are available under multiple programs based on family income, residency in the Milwaukee or Racine school districts or other factors.

Students with a disability who attend a private school with a voucher are not entitled to all the special education services that a public school is required to provide.

For students with special education needs, voucher schools are “required to offer only those services to assist students with special needs that it can provide with minor adjustments,” according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Department Of Public Instruction Private School Choice Programs
Wisconsin Department Of Public Instruction Private School Choice Programs: Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Wisconsin Council of Religious & Independent Schools Private School Choice Programs Q&A
Wisconsin Legislature Public education in Wisconsin
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.